Best Value Schools National Universities

Best Value Schools Methodology

Which colleges and universities offer students the best value? The calculation used here takes into account a school's academic quality, as indicated by its 2012 U.S. News Best Colleges ranking, and the 2010-2011 net cost of attendance for a student who receives the average level of need-based financial aid. The higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the deal. Only schools ranked in or near the top half of their categories are included, because U.S. News considers the most significant values to be among colleges that are above average academically.

Rank	School	Percent receiving need-based grants:	Average discount from total cost:
#1	Harvard University Cambridge, MA	61.4%	73%
#2	Yale University New Haven, CT	56.6%	73%
#3	Princeton University Princeton, NJ	59.4%	68%
#4	Stanford University Stanford, CA	51.2%	70%
#5	Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA	62.6%	66%
#6	Columbia University New York, NY	50.3%	68%
#7	Dartmouth College Hanover, NH	52.4%	65%
#8	California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA	53.1%	59%
#9	Duke University Durham, NC	43.2%	64%
#10	Cornell University Ithaca, NY	47.8%	64%
#11	University of Chicago Chicago, IL	47.2%	61%
#12	University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC	41.9%	55%
#13	Brigham Young University--Provo Provo, UT	32.9%	33%
#14	Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN	43.0%	64%
#15	Brown University Providence, RI	43.4%	62%
#16	Rice University Houston, TX	40.4%	58%
#17	University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA	44.5%	58%
#18	Texas A&M University--College Station College Station, TX	63.8%	51%
#19	Emory University Atlanta, GA	45.3%	59%
#20	North Carolina State University--Raleigh Raleigh, NC	53.0%	55%
#21	Pepperdine University Malibu, CA	25.6%	70%
#22	University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN	48.8%	53%
#23	Northwestern University Evanston, IL	43.8%	51%
#24	University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA	28.2%	53%
#25	University of California--Riverside Riverside, CA	41.0%	68%

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Rank

School

Percent receiving need-based grants:

Average discount from total cost:

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA

61.4%

73%

Yale University

New Haven, CT

56.6%

73%

Princeton University

Princeton, NJ

59.4%

68%

Stanford University

Stanford, CA

51.2%

70%

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA

62.6%

66%

Columbia University

New York, NY

50.3%

68%

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH

52.4%

65%

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA

53.1%

59%

Duke University

Durham, NC

43.2%

64%

#10

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY

47.8%

64%

#11

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

47.2%

61%

#12

University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC

41.9%

55%

#13

Brigham Young University--Provo

Provo, UT

32.9%

33%

#14

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN

43.0%

64%

#15

Brown University

Providence, RI

43.4%

62%

#16

Rice University

Houston, TX

40.4%

58%

#17

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

44.5%

58%

#18

Texas A&M University--College Station

College Station, TX

63.8%

51%

#19

Emory University

Atlanta, GA

45.3%

59%

#20

North Carolina State University--Raleigh

Raleigh, NC

53.0%

55%

#21

Pepperdine University

Malibu, CA

25.6%

70%

#22

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN

48.8%

53%

#23

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

43.8%

51%

#24

University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA

28.2%

53%

#25

University of California--Riverside

Riverside, CA

41.0%

68%